Christmas -- slightly late and still no pictures...

Okay, so I have so many great pictures to post but everytime I try to add them the connection to the internet is lost. We had a wonderful Christmas, spending Christmas Eve service with Wil's family at the Advent, then Christmas Eve dinner/party at my parent's house, then Christmas morning and Brunch with my parents, then headed to the Coopers at 11:30ish for presents etc which followed naps by all. Then Christmas dinner at Wil's aunt and uncle's home. What a crazy day! It was so fun, but I swear it was the LONGEST day ever! Although it was exhausting, we are so lucky and thankful to have such wonderful families who want us to be with them(and who we want to be with!).

Praise the Lord for such loving families, and for the gift of Christ.

And here's the group...

For some reason, this got clipped off the post...



Also seen at Wake Forest in the library...

Wonderful Friends

This past weekend we had some of our dear friends over for Christmas dinner. We are so blessed here at Wake to have caring and precious friends. All night long I just kept thinking about how we are all going to be celebrating together for years to come, whether for Christmas or weddings or eventually babies (not to freak yall out or anything, but at some point yall will have families and I will be there to celebrate with you!) and it made me so happy (as I told some of you there, my heart was feeling like it might burst with happiness...haha). But really the point is, as hard as it was for me to adjust to Wake, I am going to be the saddest person to leave--not to leave school, or even "college life" but to leave these wonderful friends. When else will we all be together like this? I just want to remember to savor it all and remember that that is what is my lasting impression of my college experience--friendships that I will love and cherish for the rest of my life. We are so blessed by yall, and we love you so much!

Adia Beading

My friend Ali Carroll, from Nashville, is absolutely amazing in her abilities and how she has used those to follow God. She truly has a heart for service, specifically in Africa. Here is a blurb about what she has done:

Adia (ah-DEE-yah) means "valuable gift" in Swahili, and valuable gifts are exactly what Senior Communications and Studio Art major Ali Carroll seeks to provide. She creates unique, hand-crafted, Kenyan beaded jewelry and uses the profits to help support African Leadership, a charitable foundation focusing on building Africa from within. Carroll also aims to empower and inform her customer base by promoting the growing healthcare, education, and economic needs in Kenya. Carroll is in the process of expanding Adia and moving the production of the jewelry to Mbiriri, Kenya, in order to provide jobs for Kenyan women.

In addition to making beautiful jewelry (perfect for Christmas gifts), Ali and her friend actually have bought land in Kenya in hopes of constructing a place for women to have a stable job in which they make these beautiful beads.

So, She is coming to Birmingham on December 18th to do a jewelry show; If any of yall are in Bham I would encourage yall to come out and see what she does. It will be from 11 am till 3 pm. If you are interested, contact me for more information.

Here are a couple of pictures of the beads, and Ali with her necklaces.

One of those days...

Get ready for a rant...It has really just been one of those days--stressed about nothing in particular, just kinda a blah day, exams looming ahead, Christmas shopping to be done somehow.

So, picture this: Wiley and I are off to get a flu shot, I feel like I might break down any second. Somehow my spirits are lifted at the doctor's. I think it was because the nurse was nice and smiled and Wiley waved at her after she gave him a flu shot, showing his resiliency and friendliness. I was quite proud.

Off to McCall's in Reynolda, a shop run by older women with pretty linens and children's clothes. I had bought Wiley a Christmas/Winter outfit, only to discover that in the light it was not dark blue but more of a purple blue. Not loving purple. So, we go to return it.

I walk in, say that I would like to return a purchase and yes I was the one who called earlier to make sure that they take returns. I tell them that I have forgotten my receipt but was in the area so thought I would take the chance that they might not need it. However, if they did I would just return tomorrow.

First of all, they are all annoyed at me for some reason.
The woman looks at Wiley (who is in cordoruy overalls, turtleneck, but no jacket. He does not fit in his carseat in a jacket so I just took it off and figured he would be a-ok without it for the 30 second walk to the store from the car, after all we did just get a flu shot)and says to me, "Isn't it a little cold outside?"

Thanks. As if I didn't know.

And then she asks me regarding the receipt, "Did you not think to bring the receipt?" Well, yes I did, but I forgot it and happened to be out. Thanks.

And then as they try to search for my name under Cooper, they ask if I came in yesterday and I said yes,I am pretty sure. Or maybe it was Wednesday. To which she replies, "Well it matters."

Thanks. As if I didn't know.

Then she asks "Could it be under another name?" And I realize that my debit still runs under Drinkard and not Cooper. So I say, "Oh, I wonder if it is under Drinkard, my maiden name, because my debit card still runs under it."

Total annoyance from the old biddies in the shop.

To which they find my name and purchase, I am refunded for the purple john-john. And I leave annoyed, wondering if I truly look as ignorant as they made me feel.
I realize I look 14, and I realize I had a 1 1/2 year old on my hip. But really. Do I look like an idiot? Those women may be older and by older I mean old, but there is no need to belittle anyone...especially a customer.

McCall's just might be going on my "Smut List" along with Grandmother's Joy.

It's the Holiday Season!

We are getting ready for Christmas here at Wake!
On Sunday, we got a Christmas tree together! We found the perfect one and hope it can make the trip back to Birmingham in a week or so! Wil was so sweet to go find us some ornaments, a tree stand, and he even got candy canes! Wiley was so excited--he just kept running around the apartment, it was a hoot! Not to mention how much he LOVED eggnog! He and Wil had a cup together!

Then, today, in preparation for the RUF Tacky Christmas Party Wiley and I (with Wil's help too) cut out sugar cookies to be decorated tomorrow by a bunch of friends coming over in the afternoon.


This has been such a fun Christmas season so far and I know it will only get better--Wiley is really starting to somewhat understand it--at least the excitement of the season! We have also used this as an opportunity to teach him about Jesus thanks to a wonderful nativity that T gave Wiley. He can stand up the soft,felt figures and create and re-create his own manger scene. It is fun to watch--although we try to keep an eye on Jesus--he tends to randomly end up on the shelves...

Hope yall enjoy these pictures, and let's all remember to slow down and enjoy the little fun moments of the season, along with preparing our hearts for the arrival of Jesus!

(by the way, sorry the pictures are jumbled, can't figure out how to fix it!)